Switzerland · canton
Basel-Stadt population 2026
Basel-Stadt has 201,384 people on the latest official figure, for 1 January 2025, 1,353 more than a year earlier (+0.68%). It is 15th of Switzerland’s 26 cantons by population, home to 2.2% of Switzerland’s people.
If last year’s change continues: about 203 thousand by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.
Basel-Stadt in numbers
- Population
- 201 thousand 1 January 2025
- Change in a year
- +0.68% +1,353 people
- Change since 2020
- +2.83% from 196 thousand
- Share of Switzerland
- 2.2% 15th of 26 cantons
- Population density
- 5,450per km² 37 km²
That is about as many people as Curacao (185 thousand).
Population of Basel-Stadt by year
› Show the numbers as a table
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 186,255 |
| 2013 | 187,425 |
| 2014 | 189,335 |
| 2015 | 190,580 |
| 2016 | 191,817 |
| 2017 | 193,070 |
| 2018 | 193,908 |
| 2019 | 194,766 |
| 2020 | 195,844 |
| 2021 | 196,735 |
| 2022 | 196,036 |
| 2023 | 196,786 |
| 2024 | 200,031 |
| 2025 | 201,384 |
| Year | Population | Change | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 201,384 | +1,353 | +0.68% |
| 2024 | 200,031 | +3,245 | +1.65% |
| 2023 | 196,786 | +750 | +0.38% |
| 2022 | 196,036 | −699 | −0.36% |
| 2021 | 196,735 | +891 | +0.45% |
| 2020 | 195,844 | +1,078 | +0.55% |
| 2019 | 194,766 | +858 | +0.44% |
| 2018 | 193,908 | +838 | +0.43% |
| 2017 | 193,070 | +1,253 | +0.65% |
| 2016 | 191,817 | +1,237 | +0.65% |
| 2015 | 190,580 | +1,245 | +0.66% |
| 2014 | 189,335 | +1,910 | +1.02% |
| 2013 | 187,425 | +1,170 | +0.63% |
| 2012 | 186,255 | – | – |
Basel-Stadt among Switzerland’s cantons
Full ranking →| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zurich | 1,620,020 | +0.90% | 17.9% | 937 |
| 2 | Bern | 1,071,216 | +0.72% | 11.8% | 180 |
| 3 | Vaud | 855,106 | +1.09% | 9.4% | 266 |
| 4 | Aargau | 735,808 | +1.23% | 8.1% | 524 |
| 5 | St. Gallen | 540,036 | +0.92% | 6.0% | 266 |
| 6 | Geneva | 531,102 | +1.28% | 5.9% | 1,880 |
| 7 | Lucerne | 437,944 | +1.20% | 4.8% | 293 |
| 8 | Valais | 371,288 | +1.49% | 4.1% | 71 |
| 9 | Ticino | 358,903 | +0.33% | 4.0% | 128 |
| 10 | Fribourg | 346,674 | +1.50% | 3.8% | 207 |
| 11 | Basel-Landschaft | 301,323 | +0.83% | 3.3% | 582 |
| 12 | Thurgau | 299,509 | +1.45% | 3.3% | 302 |
| 13 | Solothurn | 289,792 | +1.03% | 3.2% | 367 |
| 14 | Graubünden | 206,138 | +0.61% | 2.3% | 29 |
| 15 | Basel-Stadt | 201,384 | +0.68% | 2.2% | 5,450 |
| 16 | Neuchâtel | 179,518 | +0.69% | 2.0% | 224 |
| 17 | Schwyz | 168,931 | +0.91% | 1.9% | 186 |
| 18 | Zug | 133,739 | +0.89% | 1.5% | 560 |
| 19 | Schaffhausen | 88,667 | +1.79% | 1.0% | 297 |
| 20 | Jura | 74,840 | +0.39% | 0.8% | 89 |
| 21 | Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 56,705 | +0.37% | 0.6% | 234 |
| 22 | Nidwalden | 45,345 | +0.73% | 0.5% | 164 |
| 23 | Glarus | 42,371 | +0.75% | 0.5% | 62 |
| 24 | Obwalden | 39,662 | +0.99% | 0.4% | 81 |
| 25 | Uri | 38,275 | +0.91% | 0.4% | 36 |
| 26 | Appenzell Innerrhoden | 16,733 | +0.89% | 0.2% | 97 |
Largest cities in Basel-Stadt
City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.
- Basel177,595
- Riehen20,000
Questions
What is the population of Basel-Stadt in 2026?
Is Basel-Stadt’s population growing or shrinking?
How does Basel-Stadt rank in Switzerland?
What is the population density of Basel-Stadt?
What is the largest city in Basel-Stadt?
Source and method
Eurostat, population on 1 January by NUTS 3 region (demo_r_pjanaggr3). Eurostat reuse policy (CC BY 4.0). Total area, Wikidata. Eurostat updates regional populations once a year. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for Switzerland, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.
Cite this page: Basel-Stadt population, Eurostat, 1 January 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/switzerland/basel-stadt/
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